Electric switch



A g- 1942 J. G. JACKSON 2,292,837

ELECTRIC SWITCH Filed April 5, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

A TTORNEYv 1942- J. cs. JACKSON 2,292,837

ELECTRIC SWITCH Filed April 5, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

J21? 6. Jk izsarz ATTORNEY.

Patented Aug. 11, 1942 ELECTRIC SWITCH John G. Jackson, Detroit, Mich., assignor to Square D Company, Detroit, Mich, a corporation oi. Michigan Application April 5, 1937, Serial No. 134,933

4 Claims.

This invention relates to an electric circuit controlling device and more particularly to mounting and supporting means for an electric switching instrumentality.

One object of the present invention is to provide an enclosed electric switch having an improved mounting for the switching parts within the enclosure to provide for swinging movement thereof to the exterior of the enclosure.

Another object of the invention is to provide an enclosed electric switch having one set of switching contacts mounted on the cover of the enclosure to perform the switching operation coincident with opening of the enclosure and with the cooperating contacts mounted on a channel or pan within the enclosure having a hinge support adjacent to the hinge mounting for the cover.

Other objects and features of the invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the following specification and appended drawings illustrating certain preferred embodiments of the invention in which:

Figure l is a perspective view of an electric switch according to the present invention.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view on the line IIII of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional View on the line III--III of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a sectional view on the line IV-IV of Figure 2 with parts broken away and with the switching parts removed.

Figure 5 is a sectional view on the line VV of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a sectional view on the line VI-VI of Figure 1.

The electric switch, according to the present invention, comprises an outer enclosing box I having a cover 2 hingedly mounted on the box at the front of its bottom edge as at 3 and provided with a handle 4 for manual manipulation. A door 5 is provided within the cover 2 providing access to circuit fuses without opening the cover and interrupting the circuit through the switch. The box I is provided with removable walls 6 at its top and bottom and the walls 6 and the adjacent ends of the box are provided with cooperating projections and depressions I permitting only frontward removal of the walls and studs 8 are provided for securing the walls to the box. Within the box is provided a channel shaped mounting pan 9 having arms Ill projecting from the bottom edge thereof which engage with the opposite side walls of the box and which are hingedly mounted by pins ii received within short vertical slots 12 adjacent the bottom front edges of the side walls. Ihe bottom of the channel shaped pan 9 is elongated as at 13 and I4 to receive the switching parts mounted within the box. The sides of the channel 9 engage the side walls of the box I and are provided with studs l5 which are received within L-shaped slots IS in the side walls of the box adjacent their central front edges. This stud and slot engagement serves to limit the position of the pan within the box and also to secure it therein in a manner to be hereinafter described. Upon the support formed by the pan 9 and the extensions l3 and H are mounted insulating blocks I! which contain contact jaws, 20, and insulating blocks I8 providing fuse sockets. Upon the inside face of the cover 2 are mounted insulating blocks 19 as by means of studs 2| and upon the blocks l9 are supported conducting U-shaped contact members 22 adapted to cooperate with the contact jaws 20 within the blocks H. The blocks H! are mounted in a position for the fuses carried therein to be accessible through the door 5. The sides of the pan 9 are provided with lugs 23 serving as supporting means for a metallic plate 24 which is attached thereto by studs 25. The plate 24 is provided with openings as shown, receiving the top portions of the insulating blocks I1 and I8 and exposing only the manipulable portions thereof, the plate 24 serving as cover means for the remainder of the box interior. Cooperating brackets 26 and 21 on the cover 2 and the plate 24 serve to cut off the switching compartment from the circuit fuse compartment to prevent access to the switching parts upon opening of the door 5.

The operation of the switch will now be explained. The switching operation is performed by the opening of the cover 2 by pulling thereon by the manual handle 4. Opening of the cover disengages the U-shaped, bridging contacts 22 from the contact jaws 20 contained within the block I! and opens the circuit. Similarly, closing of the cover reinserts these bridging contacts into the contact jaws and completes the A circuit through the switch. The mounting means herein provides for removal of the switching and circuit controlling parts to the exterior of the box to provide for ease of drawing in of the circuit wires and attaching of conduit to the box. This function is attained by opening of the cover 2, removal of the plate 24 by removal of the studs 25, and loosening of the studs l5. Loosening of the studs l5 permits the pan 9 and the parts carried thereby to be elevated slightly whereby the pin ll slides within the slot !2 and the studs i5 are raised up within the slots l6. Thereafter the pan 9 and the parts thereon may be swung forwardly about the pins l l as a pivot whereupon the studs l5 leave the box through the open slots Hi. This pivotal movement permits the pan and its associated parts to be moved entirely out of the box enclosure, thus greatly facilitating manipulation of wires and conduit therein. The pan 9 in its interior positions is spaced from the back wall of the box to provide clearance space for circuit wires and this Spacing is determined by the engagement of the studs IS in the bottom of the slots IS in the side wall of the box. The slots I i are made of L-shape and the slots I 2 pro vided so that the pan and its associated parts are held within the box even should the studs I5 become loosened as these studs will be held in .place by the base of the L-shaped slot l6 until the lift ing movement previously explained has been accomplished. To reinsert the parts in the box they are swung upwardly into position where the studs I! are received within the slots l6 and'the parts reach the position shown whereupon tightening of the studs l5 securely holds the pan and the parts supported thereby within the box.

The mounting arrangement previously described provides an eflicient and simple pivotal mounting for the parts mounted within the enclosing box so that they can be easily swung to the exterior thereof to provide for manipulation therein and it is noted that with the pivotal mounting for the pan formed by the pins II and slots l2 being located adjacent to the hinge mounting 3 for the front cover, should the pan 9 and the switching parts supported thereon become loose so that they are swung out of the box when the cover is opened, the parts will not bind to an extent sufficient to damage the switch since the parts mounted on the cover and those mounted on the pan will be swinging about adjacent axes. The hinged mounting construction, even though a pin and slot arrangement is used, is quite sturdy as it provides for the hinge mounting of the pan on two side walls of the box; and the forming of the arms In in the form of flat plates parallel to the side walls of the box provides accessibility to the interior of the portion of the box below the extension I and the parts supported thereon while providing for pivotal movement about an axis parallel to the bottom wall of the enclosure.

While certain preferred embodiments of the invention have been specifically disclosed, it is understood that the invention is not limited thereto as many variations will be readily appar ent to those skilled in the art and the invention is to be given its broadest possible interpretation within the terms of the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. An electric switch comprising an enclosing box, having an openable cover, a support within said box, an insulating base on said support, switching parts carried by said base, said support having arms extending from an end thereof and adjacent to the front, said arms being pivoted to the opposite side walls of the box to provide for swinging movement of said support to the exterior of the box, said support carrying an element remote from said pivots engageable with the side wall of the box to limitthe interior swinging movement of the support spaced from the back of the box, said arm pivots comprising pin and slot connections providing for limited movement of the support substantially parallel to the back wall of the box and in which said element engages in a slot in the side wall 01' generally inverted L-shape whereby in its interior position the support is substantially self locking.

2. An electric switch comprising an enclosing box, a support within said box, an insulating base on said support, switching parts carried by said base, said support having arms extending from an end thereof pivoted to the opposite side walls of the 'box to provide for swinging movement of said support to the exterior of the box while supported on the box, said support carrying an element remote from said parts engageable with the side wall of the box to limit the interior swinging movement of the support spaced from the back of the box, and a swingable cover mounted on the end wall or the said box adjacent to the pivoted arms, said cover carrying switching parts insulated therefrom and adapted to cooperate with the switching parts on the base, said arm pivots comprising pin and slot connections providing for limited movement of the support parallel to the back wall of the box and in which said element comprises a stud receivable within a slot in the side wall shaped to provide for sliding movement of the support substantially parallel to the back wall ,of the box when in its interior position to interpose an abuement against swinging movement of the stud to provide for substantially self locking of the support within the box, said stud being tightenable against the side wall to positively lock the support within the box.

3. In a mounting for an enclosed electric device, an enclosing box, a channel-shaped support within said box and spaced from the back and end walls thereof, the legs of said channel engaging the side walls of the box, supporting arms extending from an end of said channel and adjacent to the front thereof, said arms being pivoted to the side walls of said box whereby said channel and the parts supported thereon may be bodily swung to the box exterior, at least one of the channel legs carrying an element engageable with a side wall of the box to limit the interior swinging movement of the channel spaced from the back of the box, said arm pivots comprising pin and slot connections providing for limited movement of the support substantially parallel to the back wall of the box and in which said element is receivable within a slot in the side wall shaped to provide for sliding movement of the support substantially parallel to the back wall of the box when in its interior position to interpose an abutment against swinging movement of the stud whereby said support is substantially self locking within the box.

4. Mounting means for an enclosed electric device comprising an enclosing box, a support pivotally mounted within said box for swinging movement to the exterior thereof, means limiting the interior position of said support within the box, and an electric instrumentality mounted on said support, said pivotal mounting comprising a pin and slot connection providing for limited movement of the support substantially parallel to the back wall of the box, said limiting means comprising an element on said support engageable in a slot in a wall of the box, which slot is shaped to provide for sliding movement of the support substantially parallel to the back wall of the box when in its interior position tointerpose an abutment against swinging movement of the element, whereby said support is substantially self locking within the box.

JOHN G. JACKSON. 

